MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP — The next time you're driving through Meridian Township and you get a text message or feel the need to answer that phone call, you might want to think twice as Meridian Township Police officers are using a new tactic to catch distracted drivers.

"This is a new kind of technique that we've taken up," Meridian Township Police Lt. Ken Plaga said. "It's difficult to see distracted drivers; Everybody has seen a distracted driver once or twice either crossing the center lane or they're looking at their phone and not paying attention to what they're doing.

The Meridian Township Police Department has started using plain clothes officers and unmarked cars to help catch distracted drivers.MLive File Photo

"What we're doing is that we're utilizing plain clothes officers and regular everyday vehicles as spotter vehicles and strategically placing vehicles with uniformed officers to make those traffic stops," he said. "We focus our enforcement around high traffic crash areas."

Plaga said that the patrols began on Aug. 6. Police have stopped people not only for driving distracted but also for not wearing seatbelts and other traffic violations.

Another distracted driver issue that police will be checking for is anyone who is using a detachable GPS

"If someone is driving along – and usually it's their phone – and they're getting traffic directions and they're not looking at where they're going and crossing the center line, that's a violation as well," Plaga said. "It's just like reading a text message. If I send you a text and you grab your phone and read it, that's a violation."

Being popped for violating the rule, which became state law in 2010, also carries some heavy penalties. It is considered a civil infraction and carries a fine of $225 for a first offense, and $300 for a second offense.

If distracted driving causes an accident, then the first offense jumps to $250. Drivers under the age of 18 – holding what is known as a graduated driver's license – cannot use a cell phone at all while driving, but those violations are far less common.

So if you're not trying to send your hard-earned money to the 55th District Court, Meridian Township Police ask that you keep your eyes on the road.

"We're a university town," he said. "We meet a lot of the demographics that meet the texting while driving statistics [ages 18 to 25], so we want to make sure that this word gets out. Hopefully , it prevents people from looking at their phones or doing something that's distracting."